


Geborgenheit

by blubu



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Rebirth AU, i love them, leaf isnt mine, leaf makes up for it bc they're sweet, rose is a meany butt, stella how dare you make such a cute character, they're a star, they're previous tho and i wanted to write them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 00:41:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17436566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blubu/pseuds/blubu
Summary: Rosette despised Vessels, and anything to do with The Pale King.Then she finds a Vessel. A cute Vessel.Oh no.





	Geborgenheit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StellaHope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StellaHope/gifts).



> Leaf belongs to StellaHope hsdhbd she's,, amazing and her babies are amazing go give them hugs pl e a se,,,,
> 
> i rlly wanted to write something w/ leaf and decided to throw in my oc as well bc she's a me anie,,
> 
> alsO i hope i didnt make leaf like,, ooc or something hbsbsx thats why i usually dont do this soRTa thIng

The world was being reborn. The infection was gone. A new King reigned over the once glorious land in its beginning of recovery. 

The infected bugs that roamed her home had now long since been freed from the grasps on their minds, or had been simply squashed and befallen a fate they had been destined to soon meet. The creature did not mourn the eternal rest their ‘brethren’ had met, and simply rejoiced the judgement so rightfully placed upon them. Hopefully in their next lives, the poor bugs will grow to fear that judgment. Ah, if only.

Rosette let loose a high-pitched giggle at the thought--that was a how the new world should be! One where her divine ruler, and Her grace, was finally once again allowed the praise She had so rightfully deserved.

Her vine-like hair carried her through the twists and turns of the ever growing foliage, narrowly avoiding the obstacles and thorns lying in her path as if she had learned from previous mistakes. She kept her rounded wings and moss cloak close to her body, uncurling her hair’s grip on the greenery above as she landed almost perfectly on her stub-like legs. She almost tripped right after.

Greenpath had grown silent since the rebirth of Hallownest began, the formerly infected bugs no longer wanting to reside in the hazardous overgrowth. Many were also found by search parties sent by the King itself, whom she had always hidden from in the camouflage of the green around her.

The butterfly found herself stalking through the overgrowth, twisting through paths and secrets many others would not have the eyes to find. She stretched her long and pointed limb to pull back the next bit of foliage in her way, the plants brushing against her in a familiar feeling as the creature she found sitting there..

… was not.

How curious.

It had been a while since she had trekked through this particular path, though seeing the shaking shoulders of a creature sitting before her made her wish she had done so more. She held out her limb at the bug facing away from her.

“Do not cry, my friend,” She spoke softly, wavering at the sight of the being jumping at her sudden voice. “Nothing is going to hurt you. Come on out. I am Rose. And I will not hurt you.” She allowed her voice to grow softer, careful to not further frighten the smaller bug. They seemed scared, she registered vaguely, as she slowly pulled her limb back. She did not want to appear threatening in any way. 

The smaller bug turned their head toward her slowly, body still shaking in fear. She simply smiled, mouth hidden but eyes closed in delight.

“That’s it, come on out.. You’re alright..” She carefully reminded, as the smaller being slowly, inch by inch, pulled itself out of the hidden foliage. Her smile spread as the bug now sat before her, before her expression turned into that of deep concern.

“Oh, your poor thing..” She remarked, eyes fixated on the cracks growing from the cheeks of the bug wrapped up in a green cloak. Black, inky tears smudged across their shell and stained the white beneath. She slowly extended her limbs towards the smaller being, however when scared of further damaging them she pulled herself back.

The unnamed bug was not having this, however, and quickly placed their cheek against her black limb. She perked up at the sensation. Her eyes followed to where they had peacefully closed their own.

And then she felt numb.

Her appendage had begun to grow tingly, she could feel, and cold enveloped it. She had only realized she had begun feeling the sinking feeling of an intense panic when it had looked up at her, hand now positioned on her limb smudging away the black tear.

It.

She could see it now; the dark eyes, with no end and no warmth residing in them; the black tears, a stain; the lack of speaking, and no voice.

It was a Vessel.

She had been helping a Vessel.

She stared at it in disgust, faintly aware of the ever growing confusion in the being’s pitch black eyes. It clung onto her, snapping her out of her trance and reminding her the control she had over her own lethal hair. The strands slowly began raising, prepared to block an attack-!

That never came.

The Vessel sat there in her lap, tears long since dried and not doing anything. It wasn’t pulling out a weapon, or attempting to crush her, or making a single threat on her life. 

It just sat there.

And distinctly, she could tell it was happy.

She didn’t know how: it was almost as if the feeling was just radiating off its smaller frame. Slowly, caution practically seeping from every move she made, she placed her appendage on its head. She nearly flinched away when the bug reacted extremely positively and almost nuzzled into her pat. It looked up at her again, confusion resurfacing.

‘Rosescared.’

She nearly pulled herself away in fright with a yelp at the words that so suddenly entered her mind, very obviously not her own. Her head turned left and right in an attempt to find where the noise had come from as her hair began rising once more in reflex. The Vessel pulled at her cloak.

‘Shake. Why.’

She was shaking, Rosette thought bitterly, as she regained control of her panicked breathing. Her black eyes stared the curious Vessel down as her mind finally seemed to catch on that it was communicating with her. In her mind.

She stared at the unnamed Vessel for an unknown amount of time. Her shaking stopped as the cold dread of fear was replaced with wonder.

“How.. How are you able to do that..?” She asked softly. “Are you, like.. Inside my head? Can you hear what I’m thinking?”

The Vessel shook its head. It seemed happy to answer her questions, she noted.

How was it so bugmane? How was it able to communicate (albeit not well) with and understand her? How was it--a Vessel, a being belonging to a species and relating to a person she had vowed to destroy--so endearing? How did she find herself so drawn to it?

It was still looking at her.

She sighed.

“But.. No, I am not scared,” She lied, allowing her eyes to crease into a smile. The smaller being smiled right back, eagerly climbing further into her lap. She laid her appendage back onto its head as her eyes creased into a real smile.

O, my Divine Light. I plea for your forgiveness, the butterfly silently prayed, however allowed it all to drift away as she registered the weight in her lap slowly falling asleep. Deep down she had always known the Radiance was truly dead. The proof of that was in the fact they were both still sitting here. And that they were happy.

 

She didn’t know how long she stayed with the Vessel in her arms, but she quickly woke up when she heard the loud rustling of leaves stalking further their way. The sound was quick and abundant; she knew whoever was coming was fast and they were not alone.

A search party, she quickly realized, long since grown familiar with their patterns. She looked down at the sleeping figure still in her arms. She wondered briefly if she should-

No. They would be safer with others their kind. They would be safer with the King.

With a heavy heart she removed the Vessel from her arms--watching them blink up at her as the movement caused them to reawaken--and tucked them back into the hiding place she had found them in and covering it just enough as to look undisturbed, but not hide the being sitting inside

When the first member of the party emerged from the foliage, she was already gone.

 

The group looked down at the Vessel they had found. The smaller being had grown fearful once more, not trusting these people to be as nice as the last. The group slowly reassured the Vessel, and with patience, were rewarded with escorting the bug all the way to the capital.

**Author's Note:**

> if anyone was gonna make rose not be a prick it had to be leaf. because n O one could say no to that cutie


End file.
